Description
Red velvet meets creamy cheesecake in these strawberry cheesecake red velvet cupcakes that’ll make your dessert dreams come true. Swirled with tangy cream cheese and topped with fresh strawberries, these cupcakes are pure celebration in a single bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup strawberry puree
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F. Position the rack in the center and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Combine 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, cream ½ cup butter with ¾ cup sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar to the butter mixture. Mix until completely incorporated.
- Pour ½ cup buttermilk and ½ teaspoon red food coloring into the wet ingredients. Stir gently.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the batter looks smooth and no flour streaks remain.
- In a small bowl, whip 4 ounces cream cheese with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until creamy.
- Fill each cupcake liner halfway with red velvet batter. Drop 1 teaspoon of cheesecake filling into the center.
- Cover the filling with a little more batter, filling each liner about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted near the edge.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack for approximately 45 minutes.
- Beat 8 ounces cream cheese and ½ cup butter until smooth and well blended.
- Gradually mix in 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup strawberry puree, and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
- Refrigerate the frosting for 15 minutes if it seems too soft to pipe.
- Pipe the strawberry cream cheese frosting onto each cooled cupcake using a decorative tip.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh strawberry slices or red velvet crumbs for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Bringing room temperature ingredients to room temperature helps create a smoother, more evenly mixed batter for softer cupcakes.
- Sifting dry ingredients prevents lumps and ensures a more consistent texture in the red velvet batter.
- When adding cheesecake filling, use a small spoon or piping bag to place it precisely in the center of each cupcake for a perfect swirl.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend and add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to help bind the batter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg